# @science on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DPpeaLHDB9j
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35593382-science-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/09f999ea5e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-10-11T00:00:24.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Science 🧬 (@science) — https://gondola.cc/science

## Caption

The fact that free-style rapping shows us a high level of creativity still doesn’t explain why great ideas happen in the shower.⁠
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Alice Flaherty, one of the most renowned neuroscientists researching creativity, has an answer for us. Another ingredient that’s very important for us to be creative is dopamine: The more dopamine that is released, the more creative we are, she says:⁠
⁠“People vary in terms of their level of creative drive according to the activity of the dopamine pathways of the limbic system.”⁠
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Typical triggers for events that make us feel great and relaxed and therefore give us an increased dopamine flow, are taking a warm shower, exercising, driving home, etc. The chances of having great ideas then are a lot higher.⁠
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Still, that’s not all there is to it. Dopamine alone, which gets triggered in hundreds of events, where we aren’t very creative, can’t be the only reason. Another crucial factor is distraction, says Harvard researcher Carson:⁠
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“In other words, a distraction may provide the break you need to disengage from a fixation on the ineffective solution.’’⁠
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Especially if you have thought long and hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can turn into what scientists call the “incubation period” for your ideas. The subconscious mind has been working extremely hard to solve the problems you face, and now that you let your mind wander, it can surface and plant those ideas into your conscious mind.⁠
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Lastly, after you have received an influx of dopamine and can be easily distracted by an extremely habitual task, like showering or cooking, a relaxed state of mind is essential for being creative, says Jonah Lehre.⁠
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#showering #shower #takingashower #bath #dopamine #science #biology

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showering, science, dopamine, bath, shower, takingashower, biology

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